House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, nobody should doubt the contribution of our military personnel in Iraq. They are there at the request of the government of Iraq and especially the minorities that were threatened with genocide.
We are very proud to have people who are ready to serve our country and humanity in this way.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, as I just finished saying, the government's practice has been long-standing. If we are planning any kind of a combat mission, including an aerial combat mission, there will of course be a debate and a vote in this House. The government will do that when it actually takes that decision, which it has not done. However, we will make a final decision on that within the next few days.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am not going to speculate on decisions that have not yet been taken. The government has been clear that we are strongly supportive of the actions undertaken at the initiative of President Obama and our ally to deal with the threat presented by ISIL, not just in the region but as the broader threat that this terrorist caliphate represents to all of us, including the security of this country.
We are carefully considering what options are at our disposal to be helpful. We look for ways to contribute. If there is a combat mission of any kind, including an air combat mission, there will be a debate and a vote in this House.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, as you are well aware, the government has already announced assistance for the Iraqi government in its efforts to counter the Islamic State. Obviously, our allies are doing more and more to counter the Islamic State, a terrorist caliphate that poses a major threat not only to the region, but also to us here in Canada.
The government is examining its next steps. As I have said many times, the government's practice is clear: if there is to be a combat mission, there will be a debate and a vote here in the House of Commons.
Health September 30th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, last week I spoke to the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, on this very issue. As members know, the Minister of International Development announced additional resources for this particular problem that we are seized with in consultation with the WHO, with our allies, and with the local governments in West Africa.
My understanding is the DART's capabilities are not appropriate to this particular mission, but we are looking at any way that we can assist.
Mr. Speaker of the Senate, Mr. Speaker of the House, hon. senators and members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is our great pleasure to welcome to Canada, to welcome to our Parliament today, the President of the Ukraine and his wife, Petro and Maryna Poroshenko.
Thank you, Mr. President, for briefly leaving your country to participate in this joint sitting of our Parliament. We know that this is a crucial time for you and for Ukraine, and we greatly appreciate your presence here.
Mr. President, you will recall that in June I was in your parliament to witness you take the oath of office to “protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”. I went to Kiev representing not only the Government of Canada, not only the 1.2 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent. I went to Kiev representing all Canadians from all regions, all walks of life, and all parties represented in this Parliament to demonstrate our unwavering support for your nation's democratic future and for the independence of the Ukrainian people.
Mr. President, little time has passed since June, but in those four months, your country and our world have changed.
Mr. Putin's soldiers and their proxies have expanded their penetration into Ukrainian territory. More members of Ukraine's armed forces have been obliged to make the ultimate sacrifice. The world has witnessed the attack on flight MH17, a deplorable crime that took the lives of so many innocent people, including one Canadian.
Mr. President, what I told you in June has not changed.
Regardless of the challenges the future may hold, no matter what those who threaten the freedom of Ukraine do, Ukraine will never be alone because Ukraine can count on Canada.
This commitment is almost as old as our country. It began in the late 19th century with the arrival in our west of tens of thousands of Ukrainian settlers, fleeing tyranny and poverty there to help build a free and prosperous society here but never surrendering the dream that their homeland would one day also share that freedom and prosperity.
It was expressed in the 1960s by Prime Minister Diefenbaker in his demand that Khrushchev grant open elections to “freedom-loving Ukrainians”.
This friendship was evident once again at the end of the Cold War when Prime Minister Mulroney made Canada the first western country to recognize the newly independent Ukraine.
It was forcefully displayed again in this Parliament in 2008 when, led by our colleague James Bezan, we declared the Holodomor what it was: an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Canadians have now served proudly as observers for seven successive Ukrainian elections and just last week I announced that when the Ukrainian people once again go to the polls exercising their hard-won democratic rights on October 26, Canadians will again be there in force.
We are working with our allies to help Ukraine in other ways.
We have, in large measure, terminated our engagement with Mr. Putin's regime, suspending his Russia from the G7 and working to isolate it diplomatically.
We have enacted tough sanctions on business interests tied to Russia's illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory. Just yesterday, Minister Baird announced additional measures.
We have delivered protective equipment and medical and logistical equipment to help the brave Ukrainian soldiers defend their country and their families.
We are providing significant financial assistance. Canada is also giving humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians affected by the conflict, including additional funds announced today.
We have also deployed the Canadian Armed Forces, as part of the reassurance mission, to our NATO allies in Eastern Europe, and we have been unequivocal, Mr. President, in our support for the peace plan that you have been pursuing for the Ukrainian people.
At the same time, let us be clear. Canada recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, all of Ukraine. Whether it takes five months or 50 years to liberate it, we will never, ever recognize the illegal Russian occupation of any Ukrainian territory.
You yourself said that there can be no compromise. Canada will stand firm and will continue to condemn Mr. Putin's lack of respect for the law. Together with our allies, we will continue to stand up to Russian aggression.
Mr. President, in your inaugural address last June, you said, and I quote, “Nobody will turn Ukrainians into the slaves of criminals...or the servants of a colonial power. The world”, you said, “supports us”.
Mr. President, the free and democratic countries of the world support you.
We cannot let Mr. Putin's dark and dangerous actions stand, for they have global security implications, and because, as I have said before, for Canadians, with our deep connections to the Ukrainian people, this is not to us just a matter of international law or political principle; this is a matter of kinship, this is a matter of family, this is personal, and we will stand by you.
Mr. President, generations of Ukrainian patriots did not fight for freedom in vain.
The Ukrainian people have the right, like all free countries, to seek their own future, to seek a European future of hope, and to never return to the darkness of a Soviet past.
The Ukrainian people rightfully want what we in the west enjoy: freedom, democracy, justice and prosperity.
Mr. President, freedom, democracy, justice, prosperity—these are not mere words. They are the very foundation of our country, and they are the values that Canada champions around the world, not out of selfish ambition but because Canadians have always desired these things for all peoples.
When we help other peoples preserve their freedom, we are also protecting our own.
Let me close, Mr. President, by commending you for showing leadership and courage and careful judgment in the face of ruthless and relentless intimidation and for tirelessly pursuing peace, independence, and security for your people. Know that whatever lies ahead, Canada and Ukraine will continue to move forward together, confident that our shared dreams and aspirations are right, just, and good.
I told you you would feel at home here.
Mesdames et messieurs, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming a true friend of Canada, le président de l'Ukraine, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko.
Champlain Bridge September 16th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, there is a contracting process for the construction of this new bridge. It will be an important asset for the greater Montreal area. I am very pleased to see that all aspects of this bridge are being studied.
Employment Insurance September 16th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which said, “This announcement is fantastic news for Canada’s entrepreneurs and their employees, and as such, can only be a positive for the Canadian economy.”
This organization, which helps Canada's small and medium-sized businesses, welcomed this announcement and completely rejects the hikes to EI premiums proposed by the Liberal Party.
Employment Insurance September 16th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, let me read what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business actually said:
This announcement is fantastic news for Canada’s entrepreneurs and their employees, and as such, can only be a positive for the Canadian economy.
Furthermore, the CFIB said this about the bizarre accusation made by the Liberal leader:
...a small business owner doesn’t have time to research the eligibility requirements and then carefully manage their payroll to receive a few hundred dollars over two years.
The CFIB is strongly supportive of what we are doing and strongly opposed to the premium hikes proposed by the Liberal Party.
Employment Insurance September 16th, 2014
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the leader of the Liberal Party tried to argue that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business supported this bizarre interpretation of the tax cuts recently announced by the Minister of Finance. The CFIB said that this was not the case.
However, that is not the only thing that the Liberal Party said yesterday. The Liberal Party's leader said that the Liberal Party would reverse income splitting. I would point out that income splitting has been of great benefit for the pensioners of our country. We strongly support it and we will fight anybody who wants to take that away.